A New Dawn
by Cornettxx
Summary: NEW! CHAPTER 6 UP! Many years after the destruction of Guardia Kingdom, the island chain of El Nido suddenly becomes Porre's new target. But one of their soldiers, Rune, seems to have his own agenda in the islands... The sequel of the The Last Sunrise.
1. Prelude

Prelude

Prelude

The ship pushed steadily through the waves, cutting a glistening stream through the pearly water. The boy stood staring down into the wake of the ship, his eyes absent as if he was contemplating something terribly important. The other soldiers watched him vaguely, mostly to make sure he hadn't thrown himself overboard. There was something sad about the boy—a solemn quietness that set him apart from the others. The other soldiers had tried to be as kind as possible to the boy, handling him as if he were made of glass. No one knew much about him, if there was much to be known. 

The boy sighed, and turned towards his fellow soldiers. They all turned away, trying to not to stare at him. The boy groaned inwardly, then turned away from the soldiers again, focusing on the water. He didn't care what the others thought about him. He'd gotten that reaction from most of the people he'd bothered to associate with in his life—the misunderstanding, the pity for the "poor little lost boy". It made him sick. He would show them all… Show them all that he wasn't some helpless kid. He moved his hand to his katana, and drew it, looking at his reflection in the sunlit blade.

He looked a little older than he was. That was one thing about his appearance that he could be glad about. At least no one would take him lightly. Everything else about himself, however, he despised. Every time he looked at himself in the mirror, it was like a dagger through the heart. All over again… He shook his head, sheathing the sword. Again he felt the presence of eyes behind him, but this time he didn't bother turning around to see the faces. He knew them already—fake concern, the eyes wishing that he would go away so they wouldn't have to fane worry any longer. He decided to do them a favor. He quickly turned around, colliding with one of watching soldiers. The soldier was knocked back, but he leapt onto his feet and immediately began shouting.

"What's wrong with you, boy?!" He cried, his face red with anger. "Why don't you watch where you're going?!"

"Why were you standing so close then?" The boy replied coolly. "Am I that interesting?"

The soldier glared more, as a ring of other curious men began to gather around them.

"You're a scrawny freak, that's what you are!" Cried the man, bringing his fists up. "Acting like you're on some kinda high horse… Who do you think you are?!"

The boy smirked a bit.

"Who do you think I am?" He asked. He still stood there as if calm. The other man stared at him, as if sizing him up. The boy wasn't much to look at—he didn't seem threatening at all. He was scrawny, pale, and thin. He had short blond hair that parted to one side, and pale green eyes. The man glared at the much smaller boy, his eyes burning.

"I think… That you're an arrogant idiot!!!" The soldier shouted, before dashing at the boy. The boy kept a serious look, then calmly stepped to the side. He brought his knee up, catching the soldier in the stomach. The soldier's face lit up with surprise, and he fell back, slamming into the ground. The boy grinned a bit.

"Who… Are you?!" He choked out, gasping.

"For the record, if you really must know…" The boy said softly. "You can call me… Rune."


	2. The mysterious Rune makes a friend

Chapter 1:

_Chapter 1:_

_The mysterious Rune makes a friend_

_ _

The waves crashed gently on the shore outside of the tiny port town of Arni. A gentle breeze blew through the usually fairly busy town, which now stood empty save the lone visitor at the entrance. Rune found the absence of life confusing, but not as confusing as the news he'd received in Termina. An evil man named Serge, and all of the terror he had caused in El Nido. Rune had never heard of Serge before, and was even more surprised to hear that the notorious villain Lynx, the destroyer of Guardia, had evidently turned over a new leaf. The thought sickened him, but it didn't change his resolve. He was going to get revenge for Guardia, if it was the last thing he did. 

He shook his head, fearing that this Serge character had killed everyone. He'd hoped to get information from these people, and the thought of another town wiped out… It was unnerving, but he knew that he had to search the village. 

It turned out that Rune's luck suddenly changed for the better. He found a young girl sitting on the dock gathering some small fish with a net. She had red hair that fell down to her hips, and a large frying pan strapped to her back. As Rune approached her, she reached up and ripped the pan from the make shift sheath, whirling around to face him. Rune held his hands up, giving her a nervous smile.

"Don't hit me!" He exclaimed, waving his hands. "I'm a good guy!" The girl looked him over, and narrowed her eyes.

"You're with Porre."

Rune shook his head, tearing his badge off.

"No I'm not." He said pointedly. "I used them to get a ride out here to El Nido. I'm from Guardia… Well, North Porre…" The girl looked at him with her green eyes, as if she understood the pain he held inside him.

"Oh…" She said softly, lowering the pan. "You're a boy from the old country…"

Rune nodded.

"Yeah… I lived through the war. My father fought for the king." He smiled a bit, remembering the happy times in his childhood. "He was a great knight… He fought to his last…" He shook his head, scattering the memories. He frowned a bit. "But that's not important right now. Are you here all alone?"

The girl lifted the pan a bit, then nodded.

"The others are hiding at the Elder's. I came to get baitfish for the fishermen. They go out and get us food at night."

Rune nodded and took a step back, making the girl relax.

"Well that's good." He said with a sigh. "I'm glad that Arni wasn't wiped out. When I got here and saw how empty it was…"

"That's because of…" 

The girl turned away suddenly, and went back to bait fish catching, her head bowed. Rune sat next to her, taking a net as well.

"May I help?" He asked. The girl nodded a bit, and Rune began to try to scoop the fish into his net. He wasn't very good at it, and in the end, he grinned at the girl. "I'm kinda sucky at fishing. I grew up in the woods."

The girl giggled a bit despite her evident worry.

"You won't make it in El Nido then. We're all about fishing." She scooped some fish up, placing them in her bucket. She sat back, looking at the sky. "What brings you to El Nido anyway, Mr. um…"

"Rune." He said, looking up at the sky. "I've come to El Nido because I have a bit of a score to settle…" He looked at her. "What's your name?" 

The girl smiled.

"I'm Leena." She replied.

Rune grinned.

"Okay, Leena. Do you know that much about Lynx?"

Leena looked at him sharply, her eyes wide.

"You're here for Lynx too?!"

Rune blinked.

"Who else…? Oh." He said flatly. "You must have met Kid. Quite the charmer, eh?"

"I thought you'd know her." Said Leena. "She lives to kill Lynx."

Rune nodded.

"That's because of what he did to her, and Guardia." He looked out across the sea to some small islands off in the distance. "He killed her best friend. He also murdered King Chrono and his family, and burned my hometown to the ground… He killed my family as well… He and Porre…" Rune looked down, and Leena placed her hand on his shoulder.

"It must have been awful…" She said softly. "I can't imagine… How old were you…?

"Three." Rune said, frowning. "I wasn't even sure what war was… I didn't understand it until I saw my mother killed right in front of me…"

Leena bowed her head.

"Porre invaded us just after Serge…" She sighed. "I don't understand this world…" Rune blinked at her.

"You know this Serge character?" He asked in surprise.

Leena nodded.

"Yes… I thought that he was just confused… You see… He swore to me that he was a boy that had died here ten years ago. When Lynx confirmed it… I was shocked. I didn't know what to say…"

Rune blinked.

"He's a ghost?"

Leena shook her head.

"No. He came… From another world."

Rune nearly dropped his net.

"Another world?! What…"

Leena stood up, gazing into the sky.

"We were told that there is another world, just like this one in another plane." She turned back to him. "In that world, he never died. He grew up, and became very strong. But something drew him here… I don't know what, but whatever it was, wanted him to alter the course of this world's future."

Rune looked down, his face paling.

"Was it… Lynx?"

Leena nodded.

"I think so. Lynx and Serge… I don't know… They switched bodies or something the last time they fought… It's so eerie…" She looked down this time, as if the memory was causing her great pain. "It's so eerie to see Serge's smile on that monster's face… He came here, to try and get me to help him beat Lynx, but I refused… I can't travel with him when he's like that… It hurts every time I look at him…"

Rune grinned a bit.

"Can you imagine what it must be like for your friend Serge? To wake up every morning… And see a face in the mirror that is not his…?" Rune gazed up at the sky, his eyes burning. "To ache in the inside… Each time he sees his own eyes on the face of another…?" He realized that Leena was staring at him, and he quieted down a bit. "I'm sorry…"

Leena smiled weakly.

"It's okay… But you sound like you know what he's going through first hand…"

Rune sighed.

"It's only because… I pretend to be something I'm not…" He looked at Leena. "I've tried my whole life to live up to what my father was… He was such a great fighter… But no matter how hard I try, I just can't live up to him. He drew his sword and looked at his reflection as if transfixed. "And every time I look in the mirror… I see my father staring back at me…"

"Rune…" Leena smiled at him a bit, and then tapped the hilt of his sword. "The fact that you fight against someone as terrible as Lynx gives you merit… You're fighting for El Nido now. You're fighting for all of us, just like Serge is…" She stood up, and looked out towards the islands. "And I need to fight too." She turned to him, and smiled again. "Rune, may I come with you? We can meet up with Serge, and maybe help him become himself again."

Rune looked at the ground.

"Leena… I've always fought solo…"

Leena placed her hands on her hips, glaring at him.

"Then it's time for a duet! Come on!" She pleaded. "Please take me with you! I'm an okay fighter, and besides… Isn't it lonely on your own?"

Rune looked at the ground.

"You remind me of my mom…" He sighed, then looked back at her. "Okay, Leena. You can come… And don't worry, I'll protect you."

Leena smiled.

"Great! Let's get going, okay? I've got all my gear—my mother wouldn't let me leave the elder's place without it."

Rune blinked.

"Shouldn't you tell your mother where you're going?"

Leena smiled weakly.

"Rune… Would your mother have let you fight for Guardia…? Do you think that mine will let me leave Arni?"

"I suppose… You have a point…" He said softly. He glanced over his shoulder towards the town. "We'd better leave quickly then."

Leena nodded. She placed the bucket of fish down near the center of the dock, and pulled her ribbon out of her hair. She tied it to the bucket, and then turned back to Rune.

"Mom will know I'm alright." She assured him. "If I had been attacked, I wouldn't have had time to tie this here." Rune nodded.

"Okay then… Let's go, Leena."

The two quickly made there way out of Arni, heading back towards Termina. A few hours after they had left, a man came in search of Leena. When he reached the bucket, the gulls had overturned it and were picking at the fish. Leena's ribbon had been blown into the water, and he found it stuck in some kelp near the dock. When he brought the ribbon, and the news of Leena's disappearance to the others, a sorrow shot through the small town, and Leena's mother had a stroke from the shock. The pain that Arni felt that day had only occurred a few times in the small town's history… And one of those times was ten years ago… When a young boy named Serge had been swallowed up by the waves…


	3. The real Serge; Rune looks into a face o...

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The real Serge; Rune looks Into a face of innocence 

Rune and Leena were now faced with a new problem: finding a boat. Upon reaching Termina, Rune found that he'd been assigned to guard Viper Manor, and that he couldn't take a military boat out. Frustrated, Rune left Porre's HQ and explained the dilemma to Leena. He was very vocal on how much he hated Porre, and how it seemed that even after all these years, they were still screwing him over. Leena only smiled and promised that she'd find a boat for them, and that they should head to Viper Manor to humor Rune's superiors. Still frustrated, Rune reluctantly agreed, and the two made off for the manor. Leena spent most of the trip explaining to Rune how she, Serge, and Kid had snuck into the Viper Manor only about a month before at the start of their adventure. She also explained that it was the first time they'd met Lynx. Rune was intrigued that they were able to leave the encounter unscathed, but he was certain it was because Lynx had wanted Serge alive. He also explained some things to Leena, mostly about Guardia and its history. She was extremely interested in the tales about the heroic young king of Guardia, who had helped fight for the future.

"Did that really happen?!" She exclaimed with excitement. Rune nodded.

"That's what I was always told." He sighed. "He, the queen, and his friend Lucca traveled to the future and defeated a fearsome monster…"

Leena blinked.

"Wow. All of that, and Lynx was able to overtake them…" Rune quickened his pace, and Leena had to jog a bit to keep.

"Yeah, well…" He said lowly. "Lynx fought dirty. I'm sure of it." 

"Rune, your father was a knight, right?"

Rune nodded. Leena continued.

"Did he fight for the future? You know, like the king did?"

Rune paused as if thinking.

"No." He said finally. "My father was part of the militia that protected Truce before he served in the army. He knew the king's mother, though."

"Really…?"

Rune nodded.

"Yeah."

Leena smiled.

"That must have been neat."

Rune shrugged.

"He wasn't a prince always, you know. He was just normal, and clumsy. Kinda like me."

Leena grinned, poking his arm.

"Ah, so you share some qualities with a king? That's a good thing, right?" Rune scoffed.

"Don't tell me that I have anything in common with him." He said sourly. "I don't. I told you I'd never live up to that greatness." 

Leena blinked.

"No… You told me that you wouldn't live up to your father. You didn't say anything about the king."

Rune blushed a bit.

"Oh. Well, same thing. They were both heroes."

"And you will be too if you get rid of Lynx. The people of El Nido will love you, and I'm sure that the people of Guardia will be glad."

Rune nodded.

"I hope so."

They reached Viper Manor, and Rune checked in with his superior officer. He introduced Leena, explaining that he was being paid to be her bodyguard in light of the events in El Nido. His commander understood, and agreed that Leena could stay in the manor, but only that she could only stay on the first floor. All of the other areas were off limits. Rune decided that that was good enough. He explained it to Leena, who moaned.

"That'll be boring!" She cried in dismay. "What will I do all day?!" Rune shrugged.

"I dunno. Take up sewing?"

"Very funny." Leena said flatly.

"Aw, come on. I got you a good room." Rune said, smiling a bit. "It belonged to one of the Dragoon Divas. It's supposed to be nice." He wrinkled his nose. "At least you don't have to bunk with forty of those Porre slobs."

Leena giggled.

"You really hate them, don't you?"

"Let's put it this way…" Rune explained. "I'd rather lose an eye than team up with one of those idiots." Leena sighed.

"You're hopeless. But I guess I'd be the same way if… You know…"

Rune shook his head.

"Maybe not. You might be a little more mature than me." He sighed. "Though I'm not surprised. All we men care about is killing… So the want for revenge is natural."

"Kid's a girl, and she wants revenge." Leena reminded him.

Rune shrugged.

"Well, Kid's special. That is—" He added with a weak grin. "If you consider her a girl."

Leena put her hands on her hips.

"Rune! That was mean!"

Rune laughed a bit.

"No it wasn't. You'd have no idea how many times she's called me a girl."

Leena sighed.

"Boy. You two must be good friends if you pick at each other like that." Rune shrugged again.

"Well, I guess you could say that." He opened the door to Leena's room, and lead her inside. "We've been friends since before I can remember."

Leena leaned into the room, and her face brightened up.

"Wow!" She exclaimed, the grin on her face broadening. "This is great! Look how big it is!!"

Rune blinked in surprise.

"Whoa. I knew this was up class, but WOW." He crossed the room and felt the drapes. His eyes got a far away look in them, and memories crossed the silver fields of his mind. The memories… He'd been so small back then… He remembered it so well though. His father, the man that he'd grown to resemble as if he was his twin, had left that night to fight for the future of Guardia. By the end of that hellish night… His father had been a totally different person. And so had Rune. There had been so much blood… He pushed the drapes out of the way, gazing out of the window to the sea beyond. Seagulls flew past the window, and Rune felt hot tears on his cheeks.

_Mother… Father… Big sister…_ He looked up towards the clouds, as if pleading to them. _Just wait a little longer… I've finally gotten strong enough to avenge you, and all of the others who were killed! I'll make you all proud… In just a little while… Everything will be set right again._ He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned around, coming eye to eye with Leena. She looked at him seriously, and he gazed back.

"Leena…" He said softly. "Tell me… What do I look like right now…?"

Leena looked up at him, her eyes sad.

"Like someone who had their childhood stolen… Like someone who was once a scared little boy, who saw things that no little boy should see. I see man with blond hair, and blue eyes, who looks normal at first glance, but who actually hides a great secret in his soul… That's what I see."

Rune sighed sadly.

"Blond… Never mind." He shook his head, and grinned weakly. "I'm getting tired. I'm saying things that don't make sense."

Leena shook her head.

"No, I understand." She said softly. "When I was little, my father disappeared at sea… And then Serge also died at the hands of the sea… You could say that I came to hate the ocean. I hated that it took my loved ones from me, and gave me no sympathy in return…" Tears began to roll down her cheeks. "I hated the way that it could just keep rolling in and out again as if nothing had happened… I understand the feeling inside of you, Rune. But you can't give into it. Don't let your life be led by your hatred, or your sorrow, or you'll become someone just like Lynx. Someone bitter and cold, who lives to harm others."

"Leena…" Rune whispered softly. He wiped the tears away. "Do you know what it's like to be told to love the murderer of your parents? In Porre, Lynx is a hero. There are no memorials for the heroes of Guardia. No…" He turned away. "Do you know what it's like to go to the standing place of the old castle, to the old shrine, where the kings and heroes of Guardia were buried, and find statues of Lynx? Do you know… What it's like… To hear your father's named cursed…? To hear of him as if he did something wrong…? All he did… All he ever wanted… Was peace…" He bowed his head, and Leena bowed hers as well.

"In Arni," She started. "We were told to love the sea… But I never was faced with what you must suffer when you're on the Mainland… Why would they curse you're father…? Wasn't he just a soldier…?"

Rune started, tensing up. He turned around, then nodded.

"When they curse the "Guardian rebels", it is the same as them cursing my father." He explained. Leena nodded.

"That must be awful."

Rune looked down to the bracer on his left arm, and he sighed heavily.

"Leena, I want to tell you—" He was interrupted when the door opened. Rune whirled around to see Commander Norris standing in the doorway. The commander held his hands up.

"Sorry. I should have knocked." He apologized. "I didn't scare you, did I?"

Rune shook his head.

"No sir." He said. He wiped at the tears in his eyes, then smiled a bit. "It's dusty in here." He explained. Norris sighed.

"I see…" He walked in, followed by a girl in a harlequin outfit, and a very familiar character… Rune's eyes widened, and tears of anger filled them when he set eyes on the object of his hatred. He brought a quivering hand to his sword, his blue eyes narrowed. He felt energy building around him, but he suppressed it. His bracer sparked. Though he was shaking with hate, he managed to speak through clenched teeth.

"Lynx…" He growled. At the same time, Leena let out a surprised cry.

"Serge!" She exclaimed, hurrying to him. She stopped about two feet away though, as if she had lost her nerve. The demi-human turned to her, and spoke in a tone that Rune had never heard the dark man use before. It was one of fondness.

"Leena…" He said gently. "A week ago you said that you were done fighting." He smiled. "I'm glad to see that you changed your mind." He looked to Rune, and then sighed. "You must hate me, right…?"

Rune drew his sword, bringing it up. Leena let out a cry.

"Rune! Don't!"

Norris stepped back in confusion.

"Rune—what are you doing?!"

Lynx shook his head.

"Norris, Leena, let him do what he wants." He walked to Rune, laying his weapon on the ground. "If it'll make you happy to kill me, then go ahead. I know that this form carries a terrible darkness with it, and that darkness and evil now belong to me. If Lynx—Serge, I mean, caused you any pain in the past… I'm…"

Rune shook his head. His rage had made him completely forget about Leena's story about how Lynx and Serge had changed bodies.

"You can never understand the pain you caused me, Lynx…" He said lowly. "And the only way that you will understand, is if I ram my father's sword into your black heart!!!" Rune brought his sword up, and swung forward. But he froze before his sword stabbed the demi-human. The harlequin let out a cry of distress.

"Monsieur Lynx!!!"

Lynx shook his head.

"Don't worry, Harle." He looked into Rune's eyes. "Listen… I know that you're hatred comes from seeing this body. But listen—I'm not Lynx. You have to believe me… Please…" He shook his head. "If you kill me here, it'll do nothing for you!" Rune pushed his sword forward a bit.

"Don't move! Shut up!!!"

"Please…" Lynx looked at him with pleading eyes. "My name is Serge. Lynx… He took my body. If you kill me here, he'll still be alive and young!"

Rune began to shake. Tears of hatred formed in his eyes. He saw his mother, his sister, and his father, all dead from the attack by Lynx. He heard his father's words… The tears rolled down his cheeks, and he swallowed deeply. Lynx continued to stare at him, and Rune tensed up more.

"Why couldn't you just die?!" Rune choked out. "Why did you do that…?!"

"It wasn't me!!" Lynx cried. Leena was now sobbing as well.

"Rune, please!!! That's Serge!!!" She shook her head. "You said you'd help him!!!"  
Rune continued to stare, deep into Lynx's eyes. But then he saw something. His eyes widened, and he slackened his grip on his sword. He had seen blue eyes… Innocent blue eyes on the face of that monster… He dropped his sword, and fell to his knees tears falling from his eyes. Lynx let out a sigh, and Harle hurried to him.

"Monsieur Lynx!! Are you alright?!" She cried. Lynx nodded.

"Yeah." He looked down at Rune, and then shook his head.

"Harle, what did Lynx do to this guy…?"

Harle looked at the boy distantly for a moment, then she sighed.

"Monsieur Lynx did vat he needed to do." She said finally. "Zere is no more zan zat." 

"Really…" Lynx said softly. "I wonder if I'll become a murderer if I stay in this body…"

Rune shook his head.

"No." He said, standing up. He looked at Lynx again. "You've got his form, but not the stain on his soul. I could _see_ it… Your aura… The body's is dark, but yours is light." Leena smiled.

"Thank goodness you finally realized, Rune…" She said softly, her voice brimming with relief.

Rune looked down.

"Sorry about that…" Harle sighed, shaking her head.

"You are supposed to be dead! Guardian… Hmph!!!" She exclaimed, vanishing. Norris's eyes widened.

"You're… From Guardia?!"

Rune nodded weakly.

"I joined the Porre army just so that I might be able to get a ride out here to El Nido… I hate you Porre scum. Don't go thinking that I'm done defending my country." Norris looked down.

"I am… I'm sorry about what happened… My father was in the Porre army. He said that he was probably the last person to see the king alive, other than his assassin, Sir Lynx…"

"Your… Father…?" Asked Rune softly.

Norris nodded.

"Yes. He caught the king and his son trying to escape by climbing down a trellis… He said that meeting the king changed his life. The king wasn't concerned with politics; he just wanted to protect his family, and the innocent people of Guardia. My father was so moved, that he let them go. He said that he shed tears when he heard that the entire Royal Family had been slaughtered… The king had fought to his last… My father said that when they brought his body out, he was so disfigured that if it hadn't been for the royal crest on his nearly destroyed armor, and the red hair, he wouldn't have known that was the king. He'd been run through, burned badly, had an eye gouged out, and God knows what other horrible things done to him… They found the Queen and the Princess dead in the caverns under the castle, but they never recovered the Prince. Lynx assured the public that he was dead, that he'd killed him deep in the caverns in front of the king… My father said that hearing that the little prince hadn't even made it was like a sledgehammer to the heart. He told me that he couldn't even imagine the pain in the king's heart after that… After seeing his wife and children killed in front of him…"

Lynx shook his head.

"God…" He looked at his hands. "These hands did that… These same hands…" Leena bowed her head.

"The King of Guardia… He must have died so lonely…"

Rune sighed heavily.

"He was only twenty-one when he died. The Queen was twenty… The little Princess was four, and the little Prince… He would be my age right now if he were still alive… My father used to tell me that he'd never seen a more perfect couple then the king and queen…" He turned to Norris, and smiled weakly. "But… I owe you an apology, Norris… I want you to tell your father thank you, for me…"

"Why…?"

"Because…" Said Rune softly. "It made my day… Hearing that someone from Porre spared the king… He must be a hell of a guy…" Norris smiled.

"I will tell him you said that."

Leena looked to Lynx, her eyes confused.

"What are you doing here? I thought that you were out battling the Dragons…"

Lynx nodded.

"We've nearly done it. All we need is the Sky Dragon's gem, and then we can finally get the other Dragon Tear. With that, I should be able to become myself again… Or so I've been told."

Leena gestured towards Rune.

"You should take him with you, Serge." She said. "All he wants in life is to avenge his family… You'll surely be facing Lynx. You have to let him help you." 

Lynx looked at the ground.

"Leena…" He looked back and then nodded. "Okay. Rune can come with us, if he wants to."

Leena turned to Rune, smiling at him.

"I think I just found you a ride."


	4. Reflections in the water

Reflections in the water Valued Gateway Client Valued Gateway Client 1 0 2001-11-03T05:14:00Z 2001-11-03T05:14:00Z 3 937 5346 44 10 6565 9.3821 

Reflections in the water

          Rune spent the good remainder of the next two weeks in the hospital in Guldove. Leena stayed with him, and Serge, Harle, and Norris went to get the final Dragon Gem. Leena sat next to Rune the entire time, talking with him. But Rune barely spoke. Most of the time, he contemplated the dream, wondering why he had suddenly be overcome with drowsiness on that boat, and why he had dreamed such terrible things. He knew enough to treat the dream as a premonition, but it upset him terribly to think that in the near future, he became a monster like Lynx… He didn't know what Lavos was in entirety either, for all he knew of the monster was that the King and Queen of Guardia, along with the scientist Lucca, and several others had defeated it, saving the future. Other than that… 

          Leena kept telling Rune how lucky he was to be alive. She told him that he'd been underwater for nearly five minutes, and that it took them an additional five minutes to get him to breathe again. Even the doctor was stumped as to why Rune was still alive. Every thirty minutes or so, the doctor came to check on Rune, as if he believed the boy would drop dead at any time. Rune couldn't walk, but he certainly wasn't at death's door. The doctor and his nurses also tried to get Rune to remove the bracer he wore on his right arm from time to time, but Rune refused to take it off. He assured them that it could only be removed by imputing a passcode on the keypad in the center of the bracer, and that only he knew it. Even Leena tried to get him to take it off.

          "You shouldn't wear that all the time." She said softly. Rune shrugged.

          "It's a memento. I never take it off."

          And that's how the two weeks passed. Eventually, Rune gained the strength back in his legs, and he was able to walk about again. When the others returned from the Sky Dragon Island, they proudly showed off the gem they'd been given as proof of the Sky Dragon's defeat. They were doubly pleased to see that Rune was up and about again, but were reluctant to take him back out on the boat. Rune promised that the fainting was a one time deal, and reminded them that it was a short ride from Guldove to Termina, where they could easily walk to Opassa Beach. While Lynx went to get the Dragon Tear from the Priestess, Rune was given several vitamins by the doctor, who had accounted the fainting spell to anemia.

          "I've heard this type of thing is common on the mainland." The doctor explained. "Anemia strikes youngsters who don't eat properly in the winter, and they end up sick in the spring. You need to get plenty of rest and make sure you eat more protein." Rune sighed.

          "Whatever, Doc…" He said softly. "Have you ever been to North Porre…? It's the famine that makes us weak. There isn't enough food anymore…" He looked down. He'd seen too many children die from starvation in what used to be the town of Truce. He shook the memory away, taking the vitamins from the doctor. "Okay… I'll take them." He said finally. Leena smiled at him.

          "I'll make sure you have one after every meal." She said happily. "Or I'll hit you over the head with my pan!" Rune sighed.

          "Aw man…" He moaned. Doc laughed.

          "Not used to women, huh man?" Rune groaned again. He and Leena then bid the doctor goodbye, stepping outside into the glorious sunshine. Rune sighed, happy to feel the warm sunlight on his face.

          "Ahhh…" He breathed in deeply, smiling. "This feels so good…" Leena laughed.

          "You mainlanders have it really bad up there." She said. "Long winters, WAY hot summers… I like it here in El Nido!"

          Rune smirked at her.

          "Yeah, but we don't get Typhoons."

          "So?!" The two were about to pick at each other more, but they both spotted Lynx heading towards them. He grinned at them, holding out a huge blue gem. Leena laughed.

          "You got it!" She exclaimed happily. Lynx nodded.

          "Yeah. Now I can FINALLY get back to normal…" He sighed in relief, then he winked at Rune and Leena. "I'm sick of fleas."

          Rune placed his hands on his hips.

          "Is that a complaint I hear?" Lynx shook his head.

          "At least I didn't nearly drown." He retorted. Rune sighed.

          "Hey. It's not my fault that I'm anemic."

          "How do you expect to defeat Lynx…" Lynx started. "If you're anemic? And look at you—you're scrawny! You've got no muscles at all! It's a wonder how you use that sword!" Rune shrugged.

          "Your guess is as good as mine." He smiled a bit. "Maybe I'm just special."

          Lynx laughed, then shook his head.

          "Let's get going already!" He exclaimed. "I want my body back!"

          The group boarded the boat, and pushed out into the clear sea. Rune stared down through the glassy surface, peering into the undersea life in the reef under Guldove. He was happily distracted for once, and he spent most of their journey contentedly poking his finger into the water and watching the small bait fish nibble at it. Leena watched him intently, her green eyes happy. Rune's inner child seemed to be surfacing for just a moment. He smiled at the fish as a small child would, then he turned his attention to his own reflection. He blinked at it startled. He saw not himself, but his father in those waves. His father grinned back up at him from the water, and the two stared at each other, father and son, blue eyes locked, looking as identical as twins. Leena leaned over towards Rune to see what he was finding so interesting in the water, then she looked at his reflection. Her eyes widened in shock. In the waves it was not Rune's reflection she saw, but the reflection of another… A strong looking young man, with even bluer eyes, a tanned face… Rune realized that she was peeping , and he started, hopping back in the boat a bit. He grinned at her a bit, a bead of sweat appearing on his brow. He gestured towards the water.

          "Wow. The illusions this water makes." He said, his eyes fixed on her. "It makes me look kinda cute, eh?" He grinned, but he knew that he wasn't fooling Leena. She didn't say anything, but he knew that she was now asking herself questions about what she had seen. He knew it was stupid of him to make friends… There were so many mirrors in the world, and it would only take a second for one of his friends to spy the reflection… He shook his head, moving to the center of the raft, where he was the least likely to cast a reflection in that crystalline water. He spent the rest of the trip like that, watching Leena constantly, waiting for the realization what she had seen to cross her face.

          It never did.


	5. Confrontation

Confrontation Valued Gateway Client Valued Gateway Client 1 1 2001-11-03T05:20:00Z 2001-11-03T05:21:00Z 3 1244 7091 59 14 8708 9.3821 

Confrontation

          Fort Dragonia lie within a huge mountain range, accessible only via Mount Prye, a huge volcano. The small group headed off towards the volcano, after preparing carefully for the trip in Arni. Rune hated it in that cavern. It was steaming hot, not to mention it made him feel closed in. He always got dizzy inside of caverns like that. He had such terrible memories of being underground… The feeling of being closed in, alone, and in the dark always made him physically ill. He knew that his claustrophobia was an awful handicap, but there was nothing he could do about it. He would just have to grin and bear it. 

          The party continued to press through the cave, with Lynx pausing every now and then to use the Water Dragon's Ice Breath magic, to freeze the magma that they had to cross. Rune hated this even more, because he feared that the ice would break, and he would fall into the magma when he walked on it. Leena tried to help him, but she didn't seem to understand the extent of his phobia. 

          They exited the cave, and Rune breathed a sigh of relief. Norris looked at him.

          "You do not like caverns?"

          Rune shook his head.

          "Bad memories. That's all." 

          Leena raised a brow, but said nothing.

          Unfortunately for Rune, they weren't finished with the caverns yet. They progressed into another one, but by now Rune was able to control his fear. He kept his eyes glued ahead of him, waiting to see the welcoming light at the end of the cavern. A shock on his right arm alerted him, and he looked to his bracer. The small screen was flashing. Rune held back a bit, and began fiddling with the controls. He'd known for years that the power in the small bracer would only last so long, but he'd thought that it had at least six months worth of battery power left. He finally managed to balance the sensors by sending a little of his own energy into the batteries, but he knew it was only a temporary fix. He sighed and took off running after the others. When he did catch up, they were all standing at the exit. Lynx, Leena, and Harle seemed calm, but Norris's blue eyes were wide in shock. Rune's eyes widened as well.

          Fort Dragonia was breathtakingly huge, and just as equally imposing. The huge tower spired high into the air, cutting through the soft innocent clouds that floated around it. Those same clouds obscured Rune's view of the top of the tower. As he stood there, eyes wide, Rune felt every one of the hairs on his neck stand up, and goose bumps rose all over his arms and legs. His body was shaking, as if it were begging him not to enter that foreboding place. He hadn't felt tremors like these in years, and it alarmed him. Norris seemed to be just as awestruck as Rune, except he seemed more interested in how incredibly _huge the tower was. He spoke softly._

          "I can't believe…" He said in wonder. "That the Dragoons were capable of this!" Rune nodded.

          "It is hard to believe… But it's not unheard of…" He continued to examine the tower, his blue eyes taking in every detail. "Fort Dragonia is really a marvel, especially in these islands. But I've heard stories of a land called Zeal back in the B.C. times that had floating continents and great airships… So I guess this kind of building was commonplace in the old world…" 

          Norris looked to Lynx.

          "Sir Lynx, when we get out of here, you must bring me back with a camera! I want all of Porre to see this!"

          Lynx nodded.

          "Okay, Norris. But get used to calling me Serge! I'll be back to normal soon!"  Leena nodded with a smile.

          "That's right!" She exclaimed. Rune grinned.

          "After that, I'll take care of the real Lynx."

          Lynx nodded.

          "You can do that… But just don't hurt Kid…" 

          "Why would Kid…?!" Rune suddenly understood. "I see. He has your body, so he tricked her… Don't worry. I'll talk to her when the time comes."

          Harle shook her head.

          "Zat vill not matter. Talking vill do nothing." She smiled to the group, then stepped back a bit. "I think zat I vill take another breather… Monsieur Lynx vill not be Monsieur Lynx much longer anyvays!"

          Lynx raised a brow.

          "You're leaving…?" 

          Norris groaned.

          "Again…? God, Harle. Why did you come back in the first place?!"

          Harle smiled. She looked to Rune.

          "So zat I could get a look at Monsieur Rune. Au revoir!" She did a backflip, vanishing. Rune felt a cold feeling inside. 

_I've seen that before… He swallowed heavily. Leena stamped her foot._

"Well that's gratitude!" She exclaimed. Lynx sighed.

"She vanished before, too." He said, frowning. "We thought she was gone for good, and then she appeared again, right before we found Rune." He looked to Rune, as if pondering something. "Seems she was interested in you all along, Rune…"

Rune looked down, feeling the blood run out of his face. He felt cold, icy fear. Harle easily could have been a spy. If she was, and she informed Lynx that he was coming, then Rune's chances of winning were halved. The small group said little after that, mostly because everyone knew the enormity of what was happening in their small archipelago. Rune had no idea that his mission was far more complex than simply defeating Lynx. He had no idea… That at that moment in time, his fate was being rewritten. 

The group solved the puzzles in the fort easily. Both Leena and Lynx had solved the puzzles before, and now they were less guarded than before. Lynx explained to Norris and Rune about what had happened the last time they'd traveled to the fort in the Alternate World. Rune felt renewed hatred for Lynx. The idea of him taking someone else's body was terrible. When they had finished, they headed towards the elevator to get up to the next area of the tower. They entered the room, and immediately Rune leapt back, pulling Leena with him. She looked at him in shock, but that shock turned to horror as the loud _clank of metal hitting stone sounded behind her. Lynx drew his swallow, and Norris had his gun out in a second. Rune looked up, turning with Leena still clutched in his arms. His eyes widened. _

          The boy from his dream, Serge, stood in front of him. The same blue hair, the same height…

          But his eyes…

          Rune drew his sword, feeling nothing but cold unbridled hatred burning inside of him. Dark Serge looked at him, then looked at the rest of the group. He finally smiled to Lynx.

          "You've recruited quite a crew…" He sneered in a tone that made Rune's blood flow faster. Dark Serge laughed a low, unsettling laugh that didn't seem to fit the body he was in. "A farm girl, a Porre _failure, and a little boy. How cute."_

          Lynx glared at Dark Serge.

          "I think you're underestimating us…" He said lowly. He prepared to attack, but Rune cried out.

          "NO!"

          Everyone looked at him in shock. Lynx blinked in confusion.

          "Wha…?"

          Rune felt his energy surging around his body. Leena moved away from him, her green eyes terrified. He smirked at Dark Serge.

          "I want to finish this myself." He said, bringing up the sword. He walked forward, his smirk broadening. "I've waited so long… To ram this blade through your black heart, Lynx!!!"

          Dark Serge seemed alarmed that Rune acted with such hatred, but he stayed calm.

          "Do I know you?"

          "Oh yes…" Rune said softly. "Oh yes you do…" He grinned, an almost mad look coming over his pale face. "You don't recognize me, do you, murderer?!"

          Dark Serge shrugged.

          "I really can't remember… I've killed so many in these islands. I don't recall seeing a boy like you, though…"

          Rune snickered.

          "That's because… This boy you see doesn't exist!" Dark Serge's eyes widened in mild surprise, but Lynx, Leena, and Norris all cried out.

          "What are you talking about?!"

          "You can't be…"

          "How could you not exist?!"

          Rune calmly sheathed his sword, and began typing a code on his bracer. He finished typing, then redrew the sword. He smirked again. He spoke, but his voice sounded much different. He sounded older.

          "Do you recognize me now, Lynx…?"

          Dark Serge's eyes widened in shock.

          "That voice…"

          Light began to radiate from the bracer, and suddenly Rune buffed up, his arms and chest becoming far more built. His face narrowed, losing the almost chubby, child-like appearance he'd held before. He suddenly looked older than his age, far more serious. His eyes became an even brighter blue, almost crystalline in appearance. His katana began to glow with energy, and it flashed with an explosion of prismatic light. Finally, Rune's hair grew out a bit, spiking into the air. The light from his sword surged up him, and when it passed, everyone's eyes widened in shock. Dark Serge stumbled backwards, drawing his sickle.

          Rune's hair had changed. It had just turned red.


	6. The true Rune

The true Rune

          Rune stood there in front of Dark Serge, blue eyes narrowed, lightning dancing around his form. His sword flashed and sparkled in his hand, glowing with every color of the rainbow. He withdrew a band from his pouch and tied it around his forehead, holding his hair back. Everyone stood there in silent shock, their eyes wide. Dark Serge shook his head in disbelief.

          "Chrono…?! Back from the dead?!" Lynx, Leena, and Norris all gasped again, and Norris spoke in an awestruck whisper.

          "The former king of Guardia…"

          Rune shook his head, his eyes darkening with hate.

          "Try again." He hissed. He ripped the top of his tunic, exposing part of his chest. His chest was scarred badly, the skin black as though tattooed. Dark Serge's eyes widened again.

          "You… You're that boy…! You're that… _Aaron!!_"

          Rune nodded slowly.

          "Oh good… You remembered…" He said hatefully. "You did those things to my mother and sister… Then you tried to kill me. But you were getting cocky, weren't you?! You didn't think that my own innate magical power may save my life!!" He looked down. "My father… He was so injured at that point that he didn't make sure I had been killed… When I woke up and returned to the palace, I found your handiwork, Lynx…" Rune shook his head. "My father… He tried so hard to protect us…" Tears rolled down the young man's cheeks, and he clenched his fist. "We were so happy, and you had to come and destroy that!!!" Dark Serge glared at Rune, his eyes flashing.

          "Blame your parents!" He sneered. "They and their friends were irresponsible teenagers who couldn't accept the will of FATE! Well, they've accepted it now, haven't they?! Your mother and sister accepted it right away! They died quickly, and that pleased FATE. But your father…" Dark Serge shook his head. "He refused to die. Like an annoying insect he continued to fight back! And just when I thought I had stamped out the vermin once and for all, you slither out of the wreckage of Guardia!!!" He smirked a bit. "Like father, like son, I suppose… You're a head strong idiot as well, I gather. Why don't you join your family in the abyss?!"

          Rune smirked again.

          "So you think that I'm an idiot, huh…? That's sort of funny… Because that's what I think you are." Rune began to gather power from his soul, and he floated off of the ground, his eyes glinting. "Because you forgot something I didn't—Harle isn't here right now!!!"

          Dark Serge's eyes widened in shock.

          "No… It's IMPOSSIBLE!!!"

          Rune brought his hands up, and his sword floated in front of him. He held his hands out, his eyes going white as the pure energy exploded around him.

          "LUMINIARE!!!!"

          The light slammed into Dark Serge, who was sent flying. He hit the wall, and then toppled off, landing on his knees. He looked up towards Rune, coughing as blood flowed out of his mouth. But then he began laughing. Rune blinked in confusion, as Dark Serge began to laugh even louder.

          "What's so funny?!" Rune exclaimed. Dark Serge grinned.

          "Was that your best…? Maybe fourteen years ago it would have worked on me, but now…" He shook his head, wiping the blood from his mouth. "I'm afraid it's a little too weak." He held his hands up, and dark light exploded around him.

          "FOREVER ZERO!!!!" 

          Rune's eyes went wide, he dropped his sword, and he dove to the side, struggling to evade the blast. It was then that he realized that the blast was now heading towards Leena and the others. In the split seconds he had to act, his mind raced through ways to reflect the attack. Finally, just as the blast neared his friends, Rune thrust his hands out in front of him, forcing a wave of pure energy into them. He then closed his eyes and pushed the energy forward, shooting it out in front of Dark Serge's attack. Rune's energy formed a barrier around his friends, and the impending attack fizzled out harmlessly on the shield. Rune sighed, bringing his hands down, and turned to Dark Serge, who was a bit surprised. He clapped nonetheless at Rune.

          "Bravo." He said flatly. Rune smirked.

          "A bit different than when you slaughtered my father, huh?" He glared at Dark Serge, retrieving his sword. "I have been training my entire life for this, Lynx… I've watched you in many battles, learning your techniques. Now I can stop them all!" Dark Serge glared at him.

          "You're beginning to annoy me… Why couldn't those Porre buffoons do anything right?! All they had to do…"

          "Was kill legends." Rune said. "And they did… Only partly. Because one of those legends has come back to life!!!" Dark Serge scoffed at Rune. 

          "You're nothing. You're just a ghost." He sneered. "A ghost of a man that just refuses to just die!!!"

          Dark Serge dashed at Rune, his sickle raised high. Rune flipped backwards, avoiding the attack. He back-flipped across the room, but no sooner had he landed, Dark Serge was already there, attacking furiously. Rune fought just as hard, however, and the two for a time seemed matched. Rune kicked off of the wall behind him, landing a square kick on Dark Serge's face. His enemy screamed in anger, and Rune laughed.

          "No shield this time, huh?" Rune taunted, moving back, inviting Dark Serge to attack. The two clashed again, this time forcing magic into their blades. The dark energy raced up and down Rune's form, and he screamed, falling back. Dark Serge also fell back, lightning exploding over him. The two men glared at each other and clashed once again, blades flying. Rune flipped over Dark Serge, who ducked low, avoiding Rune's oncoming attack. Dark Serge punched Rune in the gut, causing the boy to stumble back a bit, stunned. Rune glared at Dark Serge, and then broke out into a mad dash, swinging his sword down on his enemy. Dark Serge struggled to parry, but his attempt failed and he received a nasty wound on his arm. Rune took advantage of the seconds Dark Serge was stunned, and he used the time to unleash a flurry of punches, kicks, and swings with his sword on his adversary. Dark Serge let loose a frenzied energy attack, blowing Rune back against the wall. Rune winced, but then kicked off of the wall, sprinting back into the fight. The clash continued, until both warriors stood gasping. Both were running out of energy.

          "You… Little… Pest…" Hissed Dark Serge. Rune glared at him, his chest heaving.

          "How about…" The boy started. "…we finish this now… With Magic." Dark Serge nodded, and started to reach for his Element Grid, but Rune shook his head. "No Elements. Just your magic versus mine. We're matched physically… But we cannot be matched magically too…"

          Dark Serge nodded.

          "Fine then. We'll end this like true magic users." He agreed. Then he smiled and thought to himself. _Besides… Luminare is the most powerful attack that his father had… And that is nothing. This boy will die just as easily!_ He glared at Rune, drawing his energy to his hands. Rune did the same, closing his eyes. 

          Rune slowly floated into the air, his energy wrapping around him. He opened his blue eyes and looked gazed up, absently. Before him, he saw all of those who had died in the war… Lucca, his grandmother, his sister, his mother… And finally, staring back at him was his father. His father nodded to him, and Rune narrowed his eyes.

          _The ultimate lightning attack… Use it…_ His father was pleading him. _Aaron, I know you can do it…! It's a level I never ascended to, but I know you can do it!_

_Use it… Show Lynx what Guardian's are made of!!!_

Rune nodded.

          "Okay… Dad…"

          Light wrapped around him, faster and faster. Bolts of it shot out of his form, and Leena, Lynx, and Norris backed up, shielding their eyes. As the light grew, Rune began to speak softly.

          _"From beyond the gates of time…"_

          Dark Serge brought his hands forward.

          _"Forever Zero!!!!"_

          Leena screamed, her eyes wide with terror.

          "Rune!!! Look out!!!!!"

          But Rune paid no attention to her screams. He continued gathering power.

          _"From the gates of Heaven and Hell…"_

          The blast exploded towards him, ripping the tiles of the floor up in its wake. Dark Serge began laughing manically. Lynx pulled Leena and Norris through the door, screaming.

          "Get back!!! It's going to destroy the room!!!!"

          Leena shook her head in, tears flying from her eyes.

          "But, what about Rune?! We can't leave him!!!"

          Dark Serge's attack ripped into Rune, setting off a powerful explosion that sent all three of them flying. Leena looked over her shoulder to see the room engulfed in flames. 

          _"RUNE!!!!!!!!"_

          Lynx bowed his head.

          "No…"

          Norris's face was white. He looked to Lynx and Leena.

          "Do you… Have any _idea_ who that boy was?! He was prince Aaron, King Chrono's son!!!"

          "Don't say 'was'!!!" Leena cried. Norris bowed his head.

          "Sorry… But I—"He trailed off, his eyes locked on the fire. The others followed his gaze, only to see Dark Serge emerge from the fire, his face jubilant. He flashed his sick grin at the trio, nodding.

          "Now I feel refreshed." He commented, gesturing to the flames. "Finally, all of the remnants of Guardia are gone." Lynx shook his head.

          "You've gone too far, Lynx…" He snarled, a low growl forming in his throat. Dark Serge laughed.

          "I'm Serge." He said triumphantly. "I destroyed Guardia as Lynx, and killed the sole survivor of the Royal Family as Serge. Goodness… You're as responsible as I am, _Lynx…_"

          Lynx glared at his enemy, and Leena and Norris both drew their weapons.

          "My name isn't Lynx… It's Serge! You can't steal who I am. You may have my _body_… But you will never have my name!"

          Leena nodded, despite her tears.

          "That's right…! What you look like doesn't mean anything…! Serge… Will always be Serge!"

          Norris glared at Dark Serge, aiming his gun at the boy's head.

          "What you did to Guardia was inexcusable. And the fact that you used Porre to fulfill your schemes makes me sick… Rune… No, Prince Aaron's vengeance is now ours!"

          Lynx pointed his swallow at the now fuming Dark Serge. 

          "That's right… We'll destroy you here and now, for the sake of all of the people from Guardia! For all of the people in this world!! And… For Rune, and for ourselves and Kid!!! For Lucca, and everyone else you've hurt! Your tyranny stops here!!!"

          Dark Serge took an uncertain step backwards.

          "You… You fools don't stand a chance against me…!"

          Leena shook her head.

          "You're wrong… This is from the people of Arni!!!" She dashed at Dark Serge, bringing her hand up. It was bathed in blue light. "Maiden… SLAP!!!" She slapped him hard, sending the boy reeling. Norris quickly brought his gun up, pointing it towards the ceiling. He closed his eyes, absorbing the power of the earth. Light shot out of the gun as he pointed it at Dark Serge.

          "Top shot!!!" He shouted, letting loose his energy attack. The blast hit Dark Serge in the face, causing him to fall back more. Next, Lynx brought his hands up, light shooting around him.

          "Feral cats!"

          The hoard of dark cats exploded towards Dark Serge, but only damaged him a little. He began to laugh.

          "Not one White elementalist among you… That is funny…" 

          Lynx winced.

          "Damn… He's right…" But then, he got an idea. He looked to Leena and Norris. "Keep him busy, okay…? I'm… I'm going to try something." Leena's eyes widened.

          "The… Dragon Tear?"

          Lynx nodded.

          "But…" Norris started. "The room is on fire…"

          "I'll be fine."

          With that, Lynx dashed into the room behind Dark Serge, who laughed.

          "What does he think he can do? Ha ha… Maybe he wants to 'warm up'…" Leena glared at him.

          "Shut up! We're your worry now…!"

          Norris nodded.

          "That is right. So… If I were you, Lynx, I would keep my priorities straight, and pay attention to us."

          Dark Serge laughed.

          "Fine then. Gravitonne!!!"

          Norris and Leena were picked up, then thrown back to the ground. Leena winced standing up.

          "Oww…" She looked at her Element Grid, dismayed to see that it was not charged. She shouted to Norris. "Use a Cure all!"

          He shook his head.

          "I'm out of power! We'll have to attack!"

          Leena moaned.

          "Man…" She dashed at Dark Serge, smacking him several times with her frying pan. She leapt out of the way as Norris expertly landed three shots on their adversary, who shrieked in anger. He took his anger out on Leena with mean slash from his sickle. Leena wasted no time.

          "Cure all!" She screamed, holding her hand up. White light wrapped around she and Norris, and she smiled, feeling revitalized. Norris got three more shots off, missing once. Dark Serge was not faring well, but he was far from finished. He smirked at his element grid. It was filled up to level three. Only four more levels, and he could destroy both of them, easily. He attacked again, getting in three hits. _One more level…_

          Leena attacked again with her pan, but Dark Serge only snickered to himself. _So pitiful…_

          Norris shot off two more shells, but then stopped. Dark Serge wondered why he hadn't used all three bullet of the round. He soon knew why. Yellow light was sparking around the Porre Commander, and he punched his hand into the air. 

          "Thundra Snake!!!"

          Dark Serge watched in horror as the summon appeared in front of him. He wasn't sure if he could take a hit like the one that was coming. He had no choice. If he could survive this, Norris's Element Grid would be empty. Then it would only be the girl… And she certainly couldn't survive what _he_ had planned.

          The dragon flew towards Dark Serge, showering him with bolts of electricity. He flew backwards, hitting the wall. He felt his consciousness waver, but as the attack faded, so did his worry. He stood up, laughing softly. He was hurt badly, but he was still conscious. Now, it was their turn to feel pain. He dashed towards Norris, striking him across the chest with his blade. Norris's blue eyes went wide, and he fell backwards from the huge attack. Dark Serge began to laugh even louder, his element grid sparking.

          "Now…!!! It's time!!!" He exclaimed, cackling. "You will feel the true extent of my power!!!!" He brought his hand up to begin the spell. Leena was knelt next to Norris, desperately trying to stop the blood. Her eyes widened in terror. 

          "Oh no…"

          Dark Serge was now sparking with dark energy. His eyes lit up hatefully.

          "What fun it will be when your friend comes back—if he comes back—to find you all rendered to pieces!!! Ha, ha, ha!!!!" He narrowed his eyes, concentrating. "Black… Ho—" A blast of white light crashed into him, sending him flying. The black void and burning whiteness of the spell Ultra Nova—a spell only usable by a White Elementalist—was all he could feel now. He slammed into the wall, coughing up blood. He looked up hatefully, knowing what he would see. 

          Serge stood there, glaring at him with his violet eyes. He was leaning against the wall, his element grid sparking. He grinned.

          "What were you saying?"

          Dark Serge scowled at him, but then, his eyes glinted. _Fine then… He's a White Elementalist, then he will surely be crushed by my attack!_ He began to laugh.

          "Heh, heh, heh… Too little, too late." He brought his hands up, the blackness returning to him as his aura enveloped him. "Black… HOLE!!!" A MASSIVE vortex of blackness exploded towards Serge and his friends, reaching out with tendrils of energy. Serge watched it approach in horror, and Leena tried her best to shield Norris, who was on the edge of consciousness. The blackness seemed to surround them, seemed to cut off all light around them. Then, just as the blackness closed in on them, a light appeared, cutting through the darkness. The light, the gleaming brilliant, warm light, peeled the darkness back. The attack seemed to burn into the figure, but the immense light was too much for it, and the attack was destroyed despite its overpowering darkness. Leena looked up towards the figure, and her green eyes widened. 

          "It can't be…" She whispered in shock.

          _Rune!!!!_

          Rune smiled at them all, his eyes narrowed, his form framed in the fire from the room behind him. Dark Serge looked at him in terror. 

          "It's… It's impossible…!!!!"

          Rune brought his hands up. He began to glow even brighter, his form pulsing with pure energy, his entire being flowing with the unbearable desire for revenge. The energy around him began to take shape, forming figures horrifyingly familiar to Dark Serge. His eyes widened in disbelief as their features began to reform. The first was a girl with shoulder-length violet hair. She had large, thick round glasses, and had a gun in one of her hands. The next was a girl with blond hair, tied neatly into a ponytail. The final, was a man, no older than twenty-one, with spiked red hair, who looked as though he could be Rune's twin. He had crystalline eyes, and carried a katana at his side. Leena and the others watched in utter shock as the three ghostly figures brought their hands up, energy gathering into their forms. The first, the girl spoke softly.

          _"You really thought that you could destroy our future, didn't you…? You killed all of those children in my orphanage… And now, you are trying to destroy this entire planet's future. We will not stand for it! This boy, Aaron… He will be the one to stop your hatred!" _She glowed red, and dissipated into a red light that encircled Rune. The girl with the blond hair nodded.

          _"My Aaron… My little boy… Look at what you made him go through…! We tried to save this planet! We gave everything to save it! We won't let you effect it anymore!!! And for what you did to my kingdom… You'll pay the ultimate price!!!" _She glowed blue, vanished into a glowing light as the other girl had done, and began to encircle Rune. The man who looked identical to Rune smiled a bit at Serge, his blue eyes glittering.

_          "It's nice to see you again." _ He said softly. _"Please… You, and your friends… You're all that this planet has on its side. Never give up, and always remember, that you are not just fighting for yourselves. You're fighting for this planet's Past, Present, and it's future."_ He looked over his shoulder to Rune, who was looking at him with tear filled eyes. _"Aaron… You grew up so strong… Please, show Lynx what it feels like to experience the pain that we all did! Let him learn what it is to fear, what it is to feel alone on the inside as you wait to die… I'm so happy that you are alive, my son… I'm sorry… That I couldn't be there for you…_

          Rune looked at him, his eyes determined.

          "It's okay, dad… You… You did everything you could… Leave this to me. I'll take care of everything."

          His father nodded, his blue eyes serene.

          _"Thank you, Aaron…"_ He looked to Dark Serge then, his eyes fiery. _"The tables have turned, Lynx… Consider this a gift from all of Guardia..! From all of us, and from the future we saved!!!" _Light shot around him, as his form melted away. He turned once back to Rune, and he smiled. _"Aaron, your mother and I… And everyone… We will always be with you… And remember… You are my son. You have a father, even if he can't be with you. I love you, and that will never change. After this, let go of your hatred, and live a normal life… For your mother and I, please…"_ Rune nodded, tears filling his eyes.

          "I will… Dad…"

Rune's father, Chrono, the King of Guardia then dissolved, his energy joining the rest. The light wrapped around Rune, but soon the three energies were joined by more. The souls of every man, woman, and child, human and demihuman, that died at the hands of Lynx were now pouring forth, giving Rune their power. Serge and the others heard the outcries of hundreds, mostly Guardians. Young voices and old, crying for revenge, sobbing for hope. The light gathered around Rune, and he brought his hands up above his head, his hair spiking straight up into the air. The light surged through him, forming blade of pure energy that cover each of his hands. He brought the two blades across his chest in a cross, hovering into the air. Dark Serge watched in terror as the nameless spell gathered its strength, but he finally snapped himself out of his shock, and turned to run. As he did, he felt hundreds of hands holding him down, pinning him to the wall. Rune floated towards him, raising the blades. Dark Serge shook his head in disbelief as Rune smirked at him, speaking in a low turn.

"This is the vengeance of all of the people who's futures you stole away… This is there vengeance, and mine. Guardia's final justice will now be passed!!!" Dark Serge shook his head.

"You may silence me… But you will never silence FATE!!!!" 

Rune cried out in anger.

"It's over!!!!!!" 

He brought the first blade across Dark Serge, and with it came the hatred and revenge of an entire kingdom. It sliced through him, cutting the youthful flesh that he had stolen from Serge. Blood exploded from his mouth as pain shot through his entire body. The white electricity seared through him, crystallizing the wound. Rune brought the other blade down, making an X cut down Dark Serge's body. The whiteness burned through his body, rending his body of all consciousness. Rune then brought both of his hands forward, and the blades shot from his hands, becoming blasts of pure energy. Dark Serge was ripped apart and vaporized by the unfathomable energies that burned through his form. It took out part of the wall behind it as well, burning deep into the fort. When it was all over, when the nameless attack was finished, Rune stood in the midst of the smoking debris that was once Dark Serge. He dropped to his knees, his eyes closed in pain. Serge hurried to him, shaking him out of his shock.

"Rune! Rune! Are you okay?!"

Leena was suddenly there, kneeling next to Rune as well, her eyes worried.

"Are you alright?! I thought for sure… That you had…"

Rune winced, smiling at her.

"You should know better…" He said, smiling. "I'm just a little weak… That was… An attack I didn't think I could pull off… Thank God that my parents… And all of Guardia came to help me…"

Serge blinked.

"That wasn't part of it?!"

"No…" Said Rune softly. "My father… My mother… They, and all of Guardia… They saved us all."

                   __


End file.
